It was going well for Jay Vine, a good start to his first Grand Tour had seen him finish 11th from a breakaway and play a part in a stage win for teammate Jasper Philipsen. He was the last man caught from a late move on Stage 12, 550 metres short of the line, maybe not the result he was looking for, but a great performance.
His future for the next two years was also secured the next day, signing with Alpecin-Fenix after impressing mightily so far in his neo-professional season. He would no doubt have been riding a high as he fought his way into the early breakaway, with things looking like he would have a shot at his maiden professional victory on the summit finish.
The #getwreckedjay hashtag on Twitter and Instagram has been the catchcry of his fans and particularly his wife, Bre, supporting him from their Girona base. It's an apt one, Vine has a combative, all-or-nothing style, and in your first Grand Tour, you expect to take a bit of a shellacking. However, it became a bit too literal on Stage 14.
Disaster struck with 35 kilometres to go, Vine dropped back to his team car and as he was collecting something he drifted into the side of the car, crashing violently.
Vine lay on the road afterwards, with the race doctor called up to assess his condition, a sign normally that there's a question of whether the rider will continue or abandon the race. TV pictures lost Vine from there but those watching on the SKODA Tour Tracker saw Vine remount and chase to make it back to the main group of the early breakaway.
With holes throughout his kit, precariously dangling race numbers and some road rash, Vine didn't outwardly appear to be in the best shape, but as the road tilted upwards the climber's legs showed that there was still plenty of fight left as he responded to an attack on the early slopes of the Pico Villuercas. He even put in his own attack before reining himself in and matching the solid tempo of the other strong climbers in the group.
Eventually, Romain Bardet launched the crucial attack, soloing clear to surge free to take the win, but Vine battled away gallantly behind eventually coming to the finish 44 seconds behind Bardet, just losing out to Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) in the sprint to the line and finishing third.
In a post on Instagram, Vine said he had no serious injuries from the crash but was left embarrassed.
"It's more my pride that is hurt instead of my body," he said.
"At first, I couldn't put any weight on my leg but I managed to sit up so the race doctor could take a look.
"As soon as I could put weight on the leg I needed to get straight back on the bike and get back into the race."
However, despite his incredible fight back, VIne said the result left him feeling as if it was an opportunity lost.
"Without the crash I would be happy and saying how amazing it was to ride my way to third.
"It feels like my first tour podium is slightly smeared with the embarrassment of the crash."
"I honestly felt really good today, and I had the legs so that is what makes it disappointing."
The best performance of the young career of the Canberran came on a day where he would have been within his rights to climb in the ambulance and call it race over.
The Vuelta a España continues with Stage 15, another mountainous stage that will see the peloton traverse 197.5 kilometres from Navalmoral de la Mata to El Barraco.
